Prospect Talent Score

Probability of Success

History

2010-11: Curtis Lazar, the second player taken in the 2010 WHL Bantam Draft, appeared in ten games for the Edmonton Oil Kings, including four playoff contests. He spent most of the season playing for the Okanagan Hockey Academy and won a gold medal with Team British Columbia at the Canada Winter Games. Lazar had 1 assist in six regular season games for the Oil Kings and scored his first (and only) WHL goal of the year in Edmonton’s final game, a 4-1 loss to Red Deer. He scored 30 goals with 37 assists in 51 games for the Okanagan Midget and Prep teams and was the leading scorer for Team British Columbia with 12 goals and 5 assists in six games.

2011-12: Lazar played in 63 games for Edmonton as a WHL rookie and was the Oil Kings’ leading scorer during their WHL Playoffs championship run. After scoring 20 goals with 11 assists and finishing plus-15 with 56 penalty minutes during the regular season, he scored 8 goals with 11 assists and was plus-nine in 20 playoff games. In four games at the Memorial Cup he had one assist. Lazar represented Canada Pacific at the 2011 U17 World Hockey Challenge and scored 2 goals with 1 assist in five games.

2012-13: An assistant captain for the Oil Kings in his second season, Lazar scored a career-high 38 goals with 23 assists and was plus-25 with 47 penalty minutes in 72 games. Edmonton again finished first in the Central Division; tying Kelowna with 108 points for second most in the WHL. In the first two playoff rounds Lazar scored 4 goals with 1 assist and was an even plus/minus with 6 penalty minutes in nine games. He was part of Canada’s gold medal-winning U18 team at the 2012 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament in August and in five games scored 3 goals with 1 assist. He also played for Team WHL in the Subway Super Series. Lazar was ranked 26th amongst North American skaters in Central Scouting’s mid-term rankings prior to the 2013 NHL Draft, and 20th in the CSS final rankings.

Talent Analysis

Will work his way onto a pro roster. A battler, power forward in the mold of a Milan Lucic. Very good offensive skills. Leadership skills in spades.

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The lack of a first round selection in the 2014 NHL Draft hurt the Ottawa Senators, but the arrival of two forward prospects via trade helped generate some excitement. Acquired from the Dallas Stars as part of a package deal for Jason Spezza, OHL forward Nicholas Paul is a player on the rise, poised for a breakout year in 2014-15. Fellow new arrival Alex Guptill, on the other hand, is looking to rebound back to elite form after a forgettable final season with the Michigan Wolverines.

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The Ottawa Senators are in for another interesting, potentially franchise-altering offseason. Following former captain Daniel Alfredsson's footsteps last summer, the 2013-14 Senators captain Jason Spezza is likely on his way out. Two more top-six forwards, Ales Hemsky and Milan Michalek, might be following suit. With valuable assets to shop around, general manager Bryan Murray will remain busy leading up to the 2014 NHL draft.

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Photo: Forward Curtis Lazar helped the Edmonton Oil Kings to a 2014 Memorial Cup Championship. Lazar was also a standout for the Oil Kings in the WHL Playoffs, posting 10 goals and 12 assists in 21 games. (courtesy of Aaron Bell/CHL Images)

While the Ottawa Senators failed to qualify for the postseason, most of the organization's prospects made playoff appearances this spring. CHL prospects Ben Harpur and Curtis Lazar had particularly noteworthy postseasons as they helped their respective teams to the 2014 Memorial Cup.

It’s been a busy year for Edmonton Oil Kings’ forward Curtis Lazar — drafted 17th overall by the Ottawa Senators in the 2013 NHL Draft, a key player on Canada’s U20 World Junior Championship entry, and now a second go-round in the Memorial Cup. And it’s safe to say the Senators are pleased with his progress — at least, that’s what he thinks their actions mean.

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Photo: Forward Vincent Dunn is one of several Ottawa Senators prospects to have an offensively productive 2013-14 season. Dunn managed 31 goals and 20 assists for the Gatineau Olympiques. (courtesy of Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images)

A number of Ottawa Senators prospects came into their own during the 2013-14 season. Curtis Lazar was the best among them, leading the Edmonton Oil Kings to a WHL championship, and a berth in the 2014 Memorial Cup.